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Turkey Names Saudi Operatives It Says Killed Dissident Journalist Naming Names, Turks Turn Up Heat on Saudis in Consulate Case
(about 4 hours later)
ANKARA, Turkey — One is the chief of forensic evidence at Saudi Arabia’s internal security agency. Another is an officer in the Saudi special forces who posted pictures of himself on social media posing in a living room with a shiny stainless steel handgun. ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish newspaper close to the government has published a list of 15 men it says formed a hit squad of Saudi government agents the Turks suspect of killing and dismembering a prominent critic inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Two others appear to be members of the Saudi royal guard, pictured in a Saudi newspaper photograph next to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. While Turkey has not leveled the charges publicly, two Turkish officials speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the government considers the men to be Saudi operatives who flew last week to Istanbul in pursuit of Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident. Mr. Khashoggi has not been seen since he entered the consulate on Oct. 2.
All four were among 15 men that Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have identified as Saudi operatives who flew last week to Istanbul in pursuit of Jamal Khashoggi, a political dissident, who has not been seen since he entered the Saudi consulate there on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say that Mr. Khashoggi was killed at the consulate and that his body was dismembered and taken away — an allegation that the Saudi government has vehemently denied. One of the men on the list published by the newspaper, Sabah, is an autopsy expert at Saudi Arabia’s internal security agency, according to the two Turkish officials. Another appears to be a lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force. The officials, citing confidential intelligence, said all worked for the Saudi government.
Mr. Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi commentator, United States resident and Washington Post columnist, had become a prominent critic of the kingdom’s current rulers. Saudi leaders, including Prince Mohammed himself, have said that Mr. Khashoggi left the consulate freely, shortly after he entered, and that they have no knowledge of his fate. Turkish officials have said that Mr. Khashoggi was killed at the consulate and that his dismembered body was taken away — an allegation the Saudi government has vehemently denied. Mr. Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi commentator, United States resident and Washington Post columnist, had become a prominent critic of the kingdom’s rulers.
Turkish officials have cited confidential intelligence establishing that he is dead, but declined to publicize the evidence. Saudi leaders, including Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself, have said that Mr. Khashoggi left the consulate freely, shortly after he entered, and that they have no knowledge of his fate.
Now, disclosure of the names of the Saudi operatives who flew into Turkey, only to leave again hours later, appears to be part of a steady stream of leaks from the Turkish government intended to put pressure on the Saudis to admit that Mr. Khashoggi had been killed, and to spur wider international outrage. Turkish officials identified the 15 men this week to both a Turkish newspaper and to The New York Times. Turkish officials have cited confidential intelligence to support their contention that Mr. Khashoggi is dead, but have declined to disclose that evidence.
After days of noncommunication, Saudi officials on Tuesday began for the first time to contact Turkish counterparts for secret talks about resolving the matter, and the Saudis have told Washington that they believe they can smooth over the issue, according to both Turkish and American officials briefed on the discussions. In recent days, anonymous Turkish officials have leaked a steady stream of details about the alleged killing. They say they believe the operation was ordered by the highest levels of the Saudi court in part because of its scale and complexity.
Turkish officials have said that they, too, hope to avoid a face-off with Saudi Arabia, another major regional power. The leak of the list of 15 Saudis appears to be part of a Turkish government campaign intended to put pressure on the Saudi government to admit that Mr. Khashoggi was killed, and to spur wider international outrage.
But the leaks of the names and other information also threaten to make it harder for both sides to save face — for example, by a compromise in which the Saudis would acknowledge the killing of Mr. Khashoggi but blame it on rogue actors or an unauthorized operation. The Times found corroborating information about two of the men — the lieutenant and the autopsy expert — by comparing the names and photographs in Sabah, the newspaper, with social media profiles and Saudi media reports.
Several Saudis on the list provided by the Turks appear to have public ties to the Saudi leadership and even the crown prince himself, who doubles as the defense minister and has been described as the power behind the throne of his father, King Salman. With the help of amateur researchers on Twitter, The Times was able to match many of the Saudis with publicly available photographs and biographical details. By leaking the names of the individual Saudis, Turkish officials added to an increasingly detailed, if still incomplete, account of what happened to Mr. Khoshoggi.
If these 15 men killed Mr. Khashoggi on the orders of the Saudi royal court, as Turkish officials have charged, the easy identification of the assassins indicates that they did little to cover their tracks — that they were either careless or wanted their actions to be discovered, perhaps to intimidate others. Earlier leaks included information about the flights that carried the 15 men in and out of Istanbul. There were also reports about an unexpected day off granted to consulate employees the day that Mr. Khoshoggi went to the consulate. And there was security camera footage of Mr. Khoshoggi entering the consulate.
The Turkish newspaper Sabah published photographs of all 15 Saudis. One appears to be Salah Muhammad al-Tubaigy, who was born in 1971 and is the chief of forensic evidence in the public security directorate of the Interior Ministry; Turkish officials have said that the Saudi team arrived prepared to dismember Mr. Khashoggi’s body for removal from the consulate, and Mr. Tubaigy was presumably sent to help manage disposal and cleanup. The Saudis have yet to produce video footage or other evidence supporting their contention that Mr. Khashoggi left the building.
Naif Hassan al-Arifi, born in 1986, matches an officer in the Saudi special forces who likes to post pictures on social media posing with his guns. Muhammed Saad al-Zahrani and Thaar Ghaleb al-Harbi were both pictured standing with Prince Mohammed in a video posted online by a pro-government Saudi news organization. Mr. Harbi was reportedly promoted to lieutenant last October for his role in defending the crown prince’s palace in Jedda from an attack of some kind. Turkish officials have said, without offering evidence, that Mr. Khashoggi was killed within two hours of entering the consulate and dismembered with a bone saw brought for that purpose.
Meshal Saad al-Bostani appears to be a Saudi Air Force lieutenant who was born in 1987 and studied at the University of Louisville. Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb appears to be an officer in the Saudi intelligence service who was previously stationed as a diplomat in the Saudi embassy in Britain. Although the Turkish allegations about Mr. Khashoggi’s killing have so far relied largely on confidential intelligence, Western intelligence agencies have generally regarded their Turkish counterparts as reliable on domestic matters.
Mansour Othman Aba Husein was promoted in February to the rank of colonel in a civil defense force, according to a tweet by a friend. Waleed Abdullah al-Shehri, born in 1980, was promoted last year to major in the air force. Major Shehri may also have aspired to write poetry; he appears in footage from 2012 of an Emirati reality television competition for amateur poets. “The Turkish services are extremely capable, especially with regards to internal threats or incidents,” said Thad Troy, a senior executive of the business intelligence firm the Crumpton Group and a former senior C.I.A. officer with experience in Turkey.
“The Saudis would have been extremely naïve to believe they could get away with this,” he said, noting that the intelligence services of both countries had previously had “close relations.”
On Tuesday, Saudi officials began to contact their Turkish counterparts for secret talks about resolving the matter. The Saudis have told Washington that they believe they can smooth over the issue, according to both Turkish and American officials briefed on the discussions.
Turkish officials have said that they, too, hope to avoid a confrontation with Saudi Arabia, another major regional power.
But the leaks of the names and other information might make it harder for both sides to save face — for example, through a compromise in which the Saudis would acknowledge the killing of Mr. Khashoggi but blame it on rogue actors.
If the 15 men indeed killed Mr. Khashoggi on the orders of the Saudi royal court, as Turkish officials have charged, the ease with which they appear to have been identified suggests that they did little to cover their tracks. And that suggests that either they were careless or they wanted their actions to be discovered — perhaps to intimidate others.
Sabah published photographs of all 15 Saudis. One appears to be Salah Muhammad al-Tubaigy, the chief of forensic evidence and an autopsy expert in the public security directorate of the Interior Ministry. A photograph of a man entering Ataturk Airport shown in Sabah appears to match photos shared online of Mr. Tubaigy.
Another Saudi identified in Sabah, Meshal Saad al-Bostani, appears to be a Saudi Air Force lieutenant who was born in 1987. A photograph of a man at the airport appears to match photos on the Facebook profile of a man with the same name who says he studied at the University of Louisville.
It was unclear what immediate impact the disclosures might have on the unfolding discussions between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and possibly Washington over resolutions to the dispute.It was unclear what immediate impact the disclosures might have on the unfolding discussions between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and possibly Washington over resolutions to the dispute.
Saudi officials have said that they are willing to open the Istanbul consulate to police inspection. The Turkish authorities were reportedly prepared to bring in well-equipped forensic teams to scour for clues. Saudi officials have said that they are willing to open the consulate in Istanbul to police inspection. The Turkish authorities were reportedly prepared to bring in forensic teams to scour for clues.
More than a week after Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance, however, Turkish officials say they have little hope of obtaining significant new evidence. There were also conflicting reports on Wednesday about when the promised inspection might actually take place.More than a week after Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance, however, Turkish officials say they have little hope of obtaining significant new evidence. There were also conflicting reports on Wednesday about when the promised inspection might actually take place.